It was also one of the most popular Exclusivos to hit the market ever. In 2009 and 2010, Viaje really lit the U.S. on fire with some great small batch releases, with the Double Edged Sword being one of them. The last 2 years have been totally hit or miss for Viaje in my opinion. So for those of you that may still have these aging in your humidors, let’s see how they are coming around.

Appearance : (4.25) The Double Edged Sword, or DES for short, is a double torpedo shape, hence the name of the cigar. The wrapper is a dark-reddish brown color and has a small amount of tooth to it. There are a few small veins but not much to write home about. The cigar feels very light in the hand. The aroma of the wrapper is of manure mixed with flowers (I'm not kidding!). The band is signified by its Exclusivo coloration that is white, black, silver, and cream. There is a mock Cuban Edicion Limitada band in maroon and silver as a secondary band.

Construction : The head cuts extremely easily and the foot cracks a bit when lit but does not pose any problems to draw or burn. The smoke production is plentiful through the open draw. As for a lot of double torpedo-ish cigars I have smoked, this one was no stranger to the problematic burn. A few touch ups were in order to keep one section of the wrapper burning. Otherwise, there weren't many other drawbacks to construction.

Flavor : In the first two puffs I got hit with some peppery spice but it disappeared very quickly. I was then immediately met with rich leatheriness, meatiness, and soy/tamari flavors.

The soy/tamari flavor was something that characterized many of the early releases of Viaje back in 2009 and 2010. Nowadays, the Viajes have lost that attractive flavor somehow.

Not a whole lot changes in the second third if this cigar. There is a little less sweetness and more of a savory sensation. But the initial flavors are what continue to pull through up until now. The aroma is akin to the foot smoke off a Liga Privada Undercrown.

In the last portion of this cigar, things have definitely been amped up. For an almost 2 year old stick this cigar still has a lot of punch. The body is definitely still full. A lot of pepper begins to appear with each puff, and dark chocolate and coffee bean get added into the mix with the initial flavors.

Value : When these were first introduced to the public they were $10.00. I'm sure if you find them on the aftermarket they are probably several dollars north of that now. That's if you can ever find them. I think this was a great price for a tasty cigar from a boutique that was in their hey-day. Nowadays their petit robustos may gouge you for $10.

Overall Rating : (4.25) This was and still is a great cigar. The first two years of Viaje were filled with such promise and this cigar along with the first Skull and Bones, and Holiday Blend release were top notch elite sticks. It's now rare that I smoke a Viaje that pulled as much weight as their early blends, but the company continues to produce fairly good stuff most of the time. The DES is not enormously complex but it is "punch you in the face!" delicious. Those that still have these lying around will be gleeful that they still have a great cigar on board. Keep smoking my friends,...